Thomas newnham



(No Model.)

T. NEWNHAM.

LUMBER MEASURING DEVICE.

Patented Apr. 22, 1890'.

R INVENTOR:

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

irnn Brad-Es ATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS NE\VNIIAM, OF COLUMBIA, FLORIDA.

LUMBER-MEASURING DEVICE.

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THoMAs NEVVNHAM, of Columbia, in the county of .Col umbia and State of Florida, have invented a new and Improved Lumber-llleasuring Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved machine for automatically measuring the contents of boards as they are passed through an edger or planing-machine.

The invention consists of a roll mounted to turn in a slotted box, and provided with longitudinally-extending graduations indicating board-measure, and appearing through the slot in the box.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claims. a

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan View of the improvement as applied, parts being broken out. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section of the same on the line w m of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a like view of the same on the line 3/ y of Fig. 1.

The improved lumber-measuring machine A is provided with a number of boxes B, arranged parallel with each other and set on a base B, abutting against the inside of the guide-board O of the edger or planing-machine, as is plainly shown in Fig. 1. The saw D of the edger or planing-machine extends parallel to the guide-board C, and consequently parallel with the box B. Each of the latter contains a longitudinally extending roll E, 011 the periphery of which are marked longitudinally-extending graduations F, each indicating board-measure.

Each roll E is secured on a shaft G, mounted to turn in the ends of the box B, which latter is provided with a top .I, having a longitudinally'extending slot I, through which one of the graduations F can be seen at a time. The several shafts G of the boxes B are geared with each other by gear-wheels K, so that if one roll E is turned all the rolls turn simultaneously. A spiral spring H is secured by one end to the shaft G, and by its other end to the box B, as is plainly shown in Fig.

Patent NO. 426,305, dated April 22, 1890.

Serial No. 315,612. (No model.)

E, and is then passed through an aperture in board C, and connected with the mechanism N for shifting the saw D toward or from the guide-board 0, according to the width to which the board is to be out. By adjusting the saw D to cut a narrower or a wider board the rope L and the spring II turn the roll E, according to whether the saw is moved toward or from the guide-board C. \Vhen the saw D is moved from the guide-board G, the cord L turns the roll E in one direction, and when the saw D is moved toward the guideboard 0 the spring II turns the roll E in the opposite direction. The distance to which the roll E is turned by either the rope L or the spring II is relative to the width of the board 0 to be cut by the saw, the corresponding graduation F appearing in the slot I in the cover J. Thus when the board 0 is passed along the guide G and cut by the saw D to any desired width the end of the board after having passed a certain point-say the center of the saw D-is.in line with one of the marks on the graduation F appearing through the slot I, the said mark being the board-measure.

The different rolls E in the boxes B are arranged for boards of different thicknesses, as shown in the drawings. The first roll is for inch boards, the second roll is for one-andone-quaIter-inch boards, and the third is for one-and-one-half-inch boards. Each roll has a diiferentgraduation, according to the thickness of the board; but the several graduations may all be placed on one roll and marked in different colors, if desired.

It is to be understood that when the board is to be cut, for instance, to a width of five inches the distance between the guide-board O and the saw D measures five inches. The

graduation appears in the slot I. Now when the board is passed along the guide-board O and cut by the saw D the end of the board after it has passed the center of the saw is in line with the numeral on the graduation F, as shown in Fig. 1, the numeral 23 indicating twenty-three feet of board-measure.

Other suitable mechanism may be employed one side of the box B and through the guide- N rope L has turned the roll E until a certain 2. A lumber-measuring machine consisting in the base 13, the parallel boxes B therein, having longitudinally-slotted tops, the rolls in said boxes, provided with different graduations and geared together, acoil-spring connected to one box and roll for rotating the rolls in one direction, and the oppositely- Wound cord for rotating the rolls in the opposite direction, substantially as set forth.

THOMAS NEWVN HAM.

Witnesses:

W. M. IVES, J. 'I. DAVIS. 

